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Parang Kencana brings batik to the world
Batik producer Parang Kencana has continually strived to promote the traditional fabric among the Indonesian public during its 21 years in business
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Batik producer Parang Kencana has continually strived to promote the traditional fabric among the Indonesian public during its 21 years in business. it also shows that batik as a form of art and creativity is accessible to all.
Mariana Sutandi, founder and owner of Parang Kencana, detailed several of the export deals, including with Crate&Barrel (USA) and, a particular point of pride, designing outfits for US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for the leader's birthday.
'If there are other overseas companies interested in collaborating with us on batik, we are open and ready for that,' said Mariana in her outlet at Plaza Senayan, Jakarta.
'A plan is also underway to cooperate with other overseas designers.'
Although she acknowledged it can be demanding collaborating with overseas partners, the company gains positive values, especially when it comes to quality standards in the batik-making process involving Parang Kencana's partners of the craftspeople.
'Overseas buyers are very detailed in the work and strict in terms of design and deadline. We have to be careful in dyeing or coloring the motifs that they provide. Our staff and craftsmen learn more about the importance of discipline because we have to work professionally,' she said.
To ensure the production process proceeds to expectations, Parang Kencana categorizes craftsmen that specialize in export products and those handling local ones.
Parang Kencana was established in 1992, with its long-held mission is to create batik that is suitable wear for anyone and every occasion and also attractive to a wider range of consumers.
Its rich selection of designs caters to everybody: young and old.
With its name derived from Javanese terms, parang (a type of batik pattern of vertical motifs reserve for use by royal families) and kencana (gold), the brand pride itself on its handmade products, all made with the meticulous use of hand-drawn and stamp-print technique.
It also continuously strives to listen to consumer needs and preferences. Each month, the company releases between 40 and 50 new designs, with each design produced in limited numbers. If a particular pattern becomes a best seller, Parang Kencana will reproduce it but, in preserving the uniqueness of the original limited edition, release it in different colors.
The company's Research & Development (R&D) department plays an essential role keeping consumers highly interested in batik through seeking innovations in design, product and style.
'We refer to Paris each year when it comes to keeping up with the trend in color for our fashion products,' she said.
Fashion is all about colors, designs and comfort without being confined to techniques of coloring and the use of materials.
'In that way, they (consumers) are aware that batik always keeps up with the latest fashion trend. As I said earlier, my aim is to socialize batik among Indonesian people. People can wear batik everywhere and anytime and this can be fulfilled by exploration of colors.'
For Mariana, respecting batik, as part of the national cultural legacy, dynamically involves efforts to preserve traditional elements of batik and developing it. 'In my contemporary or modern batik fabric or shirts, old patterns in traditional batik, like Kawung or Ceplok, are combined in modern patterns,' she said.
Parang Kencana's diverse selection of products, consisting of men's and women's ready-to-wear outfits, sarongs, fabric and scarves, are made on quality silk, cotton and hand woven (silk) as Parang Kencana's signature. It is renowned for its wearable and modern silhouettes, and Parang Kencana often collaborates with young designers to infuse its products with their youthful spirit.
The company's unswerving emphasis on quality and craftsmanship means it can take up a month to complete one batik shirt, and up to six months for a batik fabric. The painstaking attention and effort put into one product ensures that it is a labor of love from the Parang Kencana family to the proud owner.
Currently, Parang Kencana operates 11 independent stores and around 40 outlets in various department stores, up-market areas and international airport in Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Bali, Medan and Makassar. 'A plan is underway to open some new outlets in a number of major malls in Jakarta and other major cities in Indonesia,' she said, referring to the company's business expansion.
